Control system for building automation controlled by human physiological signals

ABSTRACT

An automatic control system for actuators and security devices in building automation. A wrist-held sensor and transmitter unit ( 11 ) transmits repeatedly, in the form of short telegrams, messages indicating the physiological condition of user to a receiver and control apparatus ( 12 ), which is placed in a monitored space either as a separate unit or a part of an appliance to be controlled. The receiver and control apparatus ( 12 ), or an information analyzer in data transfer communication therewith, uses the physiological condition of a user as a basis to conduct control selections and to control automatically the actuators and security devices in accordance with the physiological condition of a person who carries the transmitter unit ( 11 ). If necessary, the control selections can be influenced also by a piece of information indicating the location of a user. In addition to the automatic control of nearby equipment, the system is also applicable to monitoring the health of a user and to setting off alarms.

The present invention relates to a control and security system forbuilding automation controlled by human physiological signals,comprising one or more transmitter units, “Wrist nurses”, and one ormore receivers as well as a central unit. The receivers and the centralunit are provided with sensors, processors along with software forprocessing received information, and control outputs as well asnecessary communication links to the appliances being controlled.

Traditionally, the control of HPAE (Heating, Plumbing, Air conditioning,Electricity) equipment in buildings, such as homes and offices, isperformed by monitoring the status of the environment as well asaccording to parameters programmed by a user for the control unit. Thecontrol is intended for monitoring human needs as effectively aspossible. The security systems are also intended for creating anenvironment as safe as possible in accordance with human needs.Traditionally, the control of personal clearance, property, and healthsecurity systems is performed by means of a control keyboard and/orcontrol switches under the self-acting control of a user. Personalclearance is generally carried out by using separate equipment andvarious clearance passes or cordless transmitters activated by externalcontrol. In property-related security systems, a keyboard is used e.g.for switching a burglar surveillance on and off. In health securitysystems, a control switch is used for controlling e.g. a passivitysurveillance by means of a home/away switch. Referring especially tochildren and the elderly, the above control systems are toosophisticated and cause unnecessary alarms and restrict the use ofsecurity equipment. Also, false alarms in alarm systems are mostcommonly caused by operating errors, regarding both automobile alarmsand buildings. In addition, security systems for a building and anautomobile require their own operating equipment of the above type. Inpersonal clearance equipment, the service is generally limited tocontrolling clearance passes as well as to monitoring working hours, butalso these require a self-acting control by the user.

In general, separate systems have their own operating and controlequipment, even if certain actions were linked together electrically forcarrying out a joint operation. For example, the activation of burglarsurveillance may shut down service water and drop room temperatures.What is typical is that all traditional systems require control actionsfrom a user every time the requirements differ from set parameters, orif it is desirable to switch some function on or off. Attempts have beenmade to relieve the situation by means of so-called smart housesolutions, wherein the intention is to make the equipment control aseasy as possible. Nevertheless, such systems are too difficult tooperate e.g. for children and the elderly, resulting in false alarmscaused by operating errors as well as in dissatisfaction with theoperation of equipment.

An object of the invention is to provide a control system for buildingautomation, wherein the control is based on the location of peoplepresent in a space as well as the physiological condition thereof andthe fact that a common control device is used for controlling the userterminals of all sub-systems either directly or through a local network(Lon, Instabus, etc.) automatically without a self-acting control by theuser. The feedback for users, regarding automatically effected controlfunctions, can also be delivered as voice messages.

This object is achieved on the basis of the characterizing features setforth in the appended claim 1.

Another novelty in the control system is that the users are able tocontrol all pieces of equipment by means of a single wrist-held monitordevice, which also enables the monitoring and surveillance of healthcondition both in and out of a building. When connected to a mobilephone, it provides a portable security system.

Also new is that the system enables e.g. an automatic switch-on and -offaction of lights depending on where a person is moving, even in such amanner that, when going to bed, the system recognizes on the basis ofphysiological signals that the location is used for sleeping andswitches off the ceiling light automatically. In other words, it ispossible for the system to learn a condition in which a person isresting in order to switch off the light in this condition, and anothercondition which implies active working in order not to switch off thelights even in nighttime. In similar fashion, the outdoor and indoorlights of a building can be switched on automatically in the dark as theuser approaches his or her home.

Likewise, the air conditioning/heating of a space is controlled inaccordance with the physiological condition of a person, e.g. if aperson is perspiring, the temperature will be lowered and, respectively,raised if a person is feeling cold. Thus, the heating is controlledaccording to any given physiological need of a person, in real time andeven per room, if so desired.

Furthermore, when knowing the location of a person in a space, it ispossible to direct e.g. phone calls to where the person is at a giventime. The position information can also be transmitted to a telephoneoperator for directing the paging precisely to where a sought-afterperson is moving. The control of entertainment equipment can also beimplemented in such a manner that, as the user is moving from room toroom, the TV or radio program that the user is following is switched onin the space he or she is entering.

By means of positioning, it is possible to achieve in personal clearancean automatic control for locking in such a manner that, as the user iscoming home or moving about in an office, the door can be unlockedautomatically as he or she approaches it.

The monitoring of personal clearance and working hours can also beaccompanied, in addition to working hours, by information about wherethe user has spent his or her working hours (e.g. in conference room/ownoffice), as well as by information about a cumulative alertnessstatus/activity level. The control system's infra and sound sensors,together with positioning, provide a perimeter protection in such a waythat it allows the user to open a door or a window, but when done by anoutsider, such opening triggers an alarm.

It is also novel that the above qualities provide for an elderly person,a demented person, and physically or mentally handicapped people anautomatically controlled environment managing system, which isadditionally able to learn the most important daily chores and seeks toanticipate the needs of a user. By virtue of positioning, the user canbe reminded of matters relating to daily chores, like he or she can bereminded of adequate clothing when going out, or eating or takingmedication when coming to kitchen. It is also possible to preheat anautomobile at a usual departure time in winter.

The invention creates a whole new concept for the term smart house asthe users are capable of controlling their environment through their ownphysiological signals.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference madeto the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows basic units 11, 12 for a control system of the invention ina block diagram;

FIG. 2 shows how the simplest receiver and control equipment included inthe apparatus is connected to a mobile telephone system;

FIG. 3 shows how a multi-function receiver 12′/6 and a relaying unit8′/19 as well as a PC-based cental unit 26 included in the apparatus areconnected to an HPAE system; and

FIG. 4 shows a function for positioning a user 11 or an alarm source 24.

The system of the invention is first described in terms of its structureand operation with reference to FIG. 1. A sensor and transmitter unit 11is a portable unit carried by a user, which can be held in the user'swrist or elsewhere in body contact. A receiver and control assembly 12can be a separate unit or an apparatus integrated in a controllableactuator or safety device. Examples of such units have been described inthe Applicant's patent applications WO 93/16636 (A 61B 5/11) and WO95/07652 (A 61B 5/0245). The wrist unit 11 is provided with an alarmbutton 1 and a number of sensors 2 in skin contact with a user (for thesake of simplicity, the figure only shows one sensor 2). The unit 11 istypically provided with the following sensors: a contact sensor, whichindicates whether the device is in operation, a sensor measuringconductivity of the skin, which indicates whether the skin is dry ormoist, a heart rate sensor, which indicates the strength of heartbeatand/or heart rate, and a motion sensor (e.g. an acceleration sensor),which indicates the motion activity of a user. On the basis ofinformation provided by these sensors, a microprocessor 3 is capable ofmaking conclusions regarding the alertness status of a user: asleep,awake but passive, moving actively, etc. On the basis of the sensorinformation, the microprocessor is also capable of making conclusionsregarding the physical condition of a user, e.g. based on whether theheart rate is in accord with information indicating the alertness statusof the user. The information regarding the alertness and healthcondition is delivered by way of a concealing unit 4 to a radiotransmitter 5, which transmits this information repeatedly in the formof short telegrams to the receiver and control apparatus 12.

The receiver and control apparatus 12 includes a radio receiver 6, atransmitter 7, an infrasound detector 9, a microprocessor 8, and variousterminals for a plurality of control outputs 10. The control outputs 10are used to forward control messages to various communication and alarmsystems. It is possible to program a number of wrist units 11 in asingle receiver and control apparatus 12 for establishing amultiple-user control system. The processor 8 can be provided with avariety of programs for a variety of applications. In terms of itsoperation, the receiver and control apparatus 12 included in the controlsystem is based on messages transmitted by the wrist-held sensor andtransmitter unit 11 and concealed by using per se known methods, e.g.encrypting 4 as well as a device-specific ID code. A transmission gapbetween the messages is controlled by changes in the physiologicalstatus of a user. Thus, the messages have a low risk of collision. Forexamples, as the motion activity increases, the transmission rate ofmessages increases as well. By means of the above-mentioned messages,the wrist unit or the sensor and transmitter unit 11 of the controlsystem informs the receiver and control apparatus or unit 12 about thephysiological condition and the presence of a user. The infrasounddetector 9 detects a low-frequency sound produced by opening a door. Theprocessor 8 is provided with software which uses the detector 9 todetect the opening of a building or automobile door and to compile,along with messages from the wrist unit 11, information as to whetherthe user is going out or coming in through the doorway. The wrist unit12 has its contact sensor 2 to reveal whether the device is fittedaround the user's wrist. Thus, taking it off the wrist switches thewrist unit 11 to a low-current state and the information is transmittedto the receiver 6 and, thus, can also be used as an alarm message.

For example, when the user steps out of an apartment or automobile, amessage about the opening of a door is received from the infrasounddetector 9 while the wrist unit 11 is simultaneously transmittingtelegrams. When the telegrams run out as the user is leaving theoperating range of the wrist unit, the microprocessor 8 has its softwarerevealing that the user has left the monitored space.

Following the above, the software of the processor 8 switches on burglarsurveillance and/or transmits to the personal clearance system a messageabout the exit of a user by effecting the data transfer either by aradio frequency or fixed terminal 10. The discussed function can also beused in safety systems for the elderly as a time-dependent personalclearance for a demented person, which allows free daily movement butproduces an alarm e.g. in nighttime, if the user leaves the monitoredspace.

When the user and the wrist unit 11 enter a monitored target area, thecontrol apparatus 12 identifies an accepted ID and, if necessary, theopening of a door as well as switches off burglar surveillance and/ortransmits a notification about the presence to a personal clearance oroutpatient alarm centre 10. After this, the physiological signalstransmitted by the wrist unit 11 control the required heating andventilation as per target area.

FIG. 2 depicts an application of the invention, wherein the novelcontrol system in connection with a mobile phone system provides, alongwith a wrist unit 11, a portable security system. The control system canbe set in connection with the battery casing of a mobile phone 15 insuch a way that the linkage is established by using terminal points 14of batteries 13, the control system having its processor simulate thefollow-up memory or temperature sensor of a battery as well as forwardalarm messages to the software of a mobile phone in a desired form. Thelinkage can also be made by using a standard mobile telephoneconnection, the control unit being attached to the base of the mobilephone 15. In the case of a small cellular network, the wrist unit itselfmay communicate directly with a base station. The automatic controlsystem connected with the mobile phone 15 can also be used fordelivering automobile burglary and other such alarms, as well asmessages required by a real-time monitoring of the linkage through acellular phone network to a control facility.

When using an automatic control system of the invention in home,automobile, and office security systems as well as in connection with amobile phone, it is possible to obtain an integrity whose automaticcontrol can be effected by means of a single wrist unit 11. The systemoperates in such a way that the automatic control functions of theinvention switch automatically a burglar surveillance on and off invarious target areas as the user moves from one target area to anotherand, if necessary, deliver a message about current whereabouts of theuser and, if necessary, the physiological signals in association with anautomatic alarm of the wrist unit 11 can be delivered to an alarm centreby using e.g. the short communication messages or direct connection of aGSM telephone to a base station.

As shown in FIG. 3, the multi-function receiver 12′/6 can be fitted inconnection with a ceiling light fixture 25, whereby a lighting control19 and a paging function 20 as well as a power supply for the applianceare easily implemented. Likewise, a motion detector 16, a smoke detector17 can be linked to the same unit, as well as a two-way communication 6,7, by using prior known infrared and radio-frequency data transfertechnology. The connection to a PC serving as a central unit 26 can beestablished either by a radio-frequency link 6, 7 or a local network 11.The two-way data transfer is used for transmitting health informationfrom the wrist unit 11 to a PC, in which such information is analyzedand sent back to a display 22 of the wrist unit 11 for the user. Thetwo-way link can also be used e.g. for displaying the caller of anincoming phone call or even for controlling nearby appliances, the menuof a relevant state being transmitted to the wrist unit 11 whoseselector buttons 23 are used for manually switching e.g. lights on oroff etc. The apartment can be provided with a number of multifunctionreceivers 12′/6 in connection with the light fixtures 25, whereby it ispossible to implement openings of doors and windows occurringautomatically as the user of the wrist unit 11 is moving (or to beperformed by manual control) as well as to implement a localization ofvarious smoke detectors. A localization of the wrist unit 11 is effectedby using conventional radio tracking technology, a localization of doorsand windows is carried out by using a measurement for the signalstrength of infrasounds, such that each multi-function alarm 12′transmits the signal strength measured thereby to the PC 26 whosesoftware calculates on the basis thereof the location of a sound source11.

FIG. 4 illustrates the components for a tracking system associated withthe control system disposed in a single room. The tracking orlocalization operates in such a way that the wrist unit 11 transmitscontinuously physiological measuring signals from its user, which arereceived by tracking receivers 21 for measuring either the phase of aradio signal and/or the signal strength and for transmitting theinformation to the micro-computer 26 for an analysis. The microcomputer26 uses the signal strength as a basis for calculating which door orwindow the sound came from. On the basis of received information, themicrocomputer 26 is able to check whether a door was opened by the userof the wrist unit 11 or by somebody else. If the system is set in asurveillance mode and a door is opened by someone other than the user ofthe wrist unit 11, an alarm is set off. The corresponding equipment canbe arranged in a larger apartment as well by placing the trackingreceivers 21 in the extreme corners of the apartment or by using themulti-function receivers 12′ linked in connection with the lightfixtures 25 of the rooms furthest away from each other.

It is essential for a control system of the invention that a receiver orcontrol apparatus 12, 12′ or an information analyzer 26 in data transfercommunication therewith is capable of performing selections betweenvarious control functions on the basis of the physiological condition ofa user, the control of actuators and safety devices 12′, 28 occurringautomatically in accordance with the physiological condition of a personwho carries the transmitter unit 11. This system will be particularlybeneficial and versatile by virtue of the fact that the control can alsobe based on a combination of information indicating the alertness andhealth condition of a user and a piece of information indicating thelocation of a user.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic control system for actuators and security devices relating to building automation, including HPAE (Heating, Plumbing, Air conditioning, Electricity) systems in homes and offices, comprising a portable sensor and transmitter unit and a receiver and control apparatus, which is placed in a monitored space as a separate unit or as a part of an appliance to be controlled and which comprises a receiver for the signals of the sensor and transmitter unit, a processor for processing information contained in the received signals, and control outputs for controlling actuators and security devices and, if necessary, for setting off alarms, characterized in that the sensor and transmitter unit is provided with measuring sensors for monitoring the physiological condition of a user, that said signals contain information about the physiological condition of a user, on the basis of which the receiver and control apparatus or an information analyzer in data transfer communication therewith performs continuously or at short intervals repeatedly and automatically control selections on the basis of the physiological condition of a user and, thus, performs actively the on-line control of said actuators and security devices in accordance with the physiological condition of a person who carries the sensor and transmitter unit.
 2. A control system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the receiver and control apparatus includes a number of receivers disposed in various parts of a monitored space to receive simultaneously a signal from the sensor and transmitter unit, and that, by comparing the signal strengths of various receivers, the receiver and control apparatus is adapted to track down a user, and that the control of the actuators and security devices and the transmission of possible alarms are based on a combination of information indicating the state of alertness or health of a user and a piece of information indicating the location of a user.
 3. A control system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor and transmitter unit comprises a wrist-held unit and the receiver and control apparatus is integrated as a part of a burglar alarm and smoke detector unit, including a motion detector, a smoke detector, and an infrasound detector.
 4. A control system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor and transmitter unit transmits a signal indicating the physiological condition of a user as short messages repeated at short intervals.
 5. A control system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that, regarding the automatically performed control functions, the user is given a feedback therefrom in the form of voice messages.
 6. A control system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the gap between transmissions of messages indicating a physiological condition and transmitted in a wireless fashion by way of radio is controlled on the basis of changes occurring in the physiological condition of a user.
 7. A control system as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that: the sensor and transmitter unit comprises a wrist-held unit and the receiver and control apparatus is integrated as a part of a burglar alarm and smoke detector unit, including a motion detector, a smoke detector, and an infrasound detector; the sensor and transmitter unit transmits a signal indicating the physiological condition of a user as short messages repeated at short intervals; regarding the automatically performed controlled functions, the user is given a feedback therefrom in the form of voice messages; and the gap between transmissions of messages indicating a physiological condition and transmitted in a wireless fashion by way of radio is controlled on the basis of changes occurring in the physiological condition of a user. 